Avatar: The Four Ghost Stories
by Singer of Time
Summary: A little gift for Halloween.  Stranded in a dark inn during a storm, the Gaang decides to trade ghost stories, one from each Nation.  Who knows if they are real or not?
1. Water: The Story of Nokai

((AN: Happy Halloween, guys. :3 In the spirit of it all, I present a new story; may only end up being four or five chapters long, and won't likely be finished by the end of the holiday, but I'm festive enough to start it early in the morning on said day. xP

Enjoy! Maybe it won't be scary, but I hope at least it's entertaining. x3 It's rather fun to go into the folklore aspects of the Avatar world.

As always, I don't own anybody or anything in this story. It all belongs to Mike and Bryan and the good folks at Nickelodeon. But mostly Mike and Bryan.))

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><p>1<p>

It was a cold autumn night in the Earth Kingdom. In many places, the tops of the mountains already saw a coating of snow; though it was sure not to last when the sun was due to arrive again. The wind howled outside of the lavish inn where the Avatar and his friends stayed, in an otherwise quiet little town nestled in a deep forest near the base of the mountains where Omashu was hidden within.

With the weather outside too cold and too windy even for the group to finish the flight to the city, they roomed together in the top floor and relaxed in a small circle of seven near the feet of the beds. Appa had been given a fairly steady, warm shelter in a nearby barn with Momo.

Pillows were gathered up so that the young heroes sat in comfort and told stories and shared laughter, reminiscing about the war days. Behind them a fireplace flickered and filled the space with needed warmth, but no other lights were lit…so eerie shadows were cast over the walls and along the floor along with the shifting orange glow.

Katara and Aang were sharing a blanket, the respectively sixteen- and fifteen-year-olds (Aang's birthday had passed on the Equinox) using the dark and foreboding atmosphere as a fair excuse to huddle close together. Sokka and Suki had the same idea, as well as Zuko and Mai. Toph lounged by herself, enjoying the space she had for herself between the Waterbender and her brother.

None of them were tired yet; but it wasn't like they could sleep anyway, with the wind still whipping relentlessly at the windows, slapping newly-fallen leaves against the panes and making the inn creak and settle in places.

"It's times like these that make me wonder why I decide to go traveling with you guys sometimes," Mai sighed dully, shifting comfortably with the Fire Lord's arm around her shoulder.

"Well, it's less boring than sitting alone in the palace, I bet," Aang chuckled.

"Yeah, and how about the adventure?" Katara grinned. "The thrill of finding new places? Expecting the unexpected?"

"Or having the unexpected expect _us,_" Sokka interrupted, earning him a small jab in the shoulder from his girlfriend and a laugh from the others.

Zuko rolled his eyes and playfully nudged her. "At least you have good friends with you, Mai. Traveling isn't half as fun when you have to do it practically alone."

"She's just scared of the storm," Toph matter-of-factly stated with a yawn.

"I am not," the young noblewoman huffed. "I don't _get_ scared."

It was easy for the others to believe her thanks to her stoic face (Toph excluded), but Zuko could feel her flinch a little when the wind picked up outside and made a piece of the building go _bang…_not that he would dare point that out. He never _did_ figure out where she kept some of her knives.

"Well, if we're all looking to be scared, how about some ghost stories?" Suki suggested with a grin.

"Ooh, yeah!" Toph sat up, interested. "Something that we haven't heard already."

"I dunno; do we _really_ wanna tell scary stories? Some of us might end up not sleeping," Zuko reasoned.

"Are you talking about yourself or the rest of us?" Katara laughed.

The Firebender grimaced. "Hey, I don't scare easily either."

"I think we've all been through things that are scarier than ghosts," Aang pointed out, watching everyone with his curious, tempestuous eyes. "So let's hear some stories; should be interesting."

Settling into an easy agreement, they all thought about the tales they wanted to tell. They didn't have to be particularly scary, but at the most, mystifying.

"So, who goes first?" Sokka shrugged. "I can't think of anything."

"No surprise there," Toph muttered.

Katara let out a long hum of thought, before her eyes widened with an idea. She shot her brother a small grin. "I could go with the story of Nokai."

His head whipped around. "Ohhh no! Not _that_ one, Katara. Absolutely _not._"

"Nokai?" Aang echoed curiously.

Zuko's head tilted. "What's that one about?"

"It's an ancient Water Tribe tale. Dad told it to us once." She stared her brother down. "Sokka, come on, it's really good! It's an old and enduring part of our culture."

"_Too_ enduring if you ask me. That story gives me the heebie-jeebies! I couldn't sleep for a week after I heard it!" he hissed, pulling the whole blanket over himself like a hood.

"You were six back then," Katara's eyebrow rose. "How could you even remember it? C'mon, I bet if you hear it again it won't seem so scary."

"Yeah, I wanna hear it," Aang said, smiling with genuine interest.

"If it scares Sokka, should be worth hearing," Toph agreed.

Mai shrugged. "Bring it on."

There was a pause as Sokka considered it. Then, he relented and let Suki reclaim her half of the blanket with a huff. He sat up straight and pointed a finger toward the Waterbender. "Fine. But if I get nightmares tonight, you're _so _gonna get it."

"Whatever," she sighed, shaking her head before settling into a relaxed cross-legged pose to begin the story, the others quieting down in avid anticipation.

* * *

><p><em>This tale takes place in the ancient times…back before there were Waterbenders, when Spirits walked the earth freely and the Water Tribes consisted of scattered villages and nomadic hunting families. The South Pole was a dangerous, wild place, and wasn't too far touched upon by people.<em>

_ From one small family with their home on the water, the very place where our tribe stands now, there came a warrior-hunter named Nokai. He was strong and brave, but also very foolhardy. He always boasted that he was the strongest fighter and the most courageous of hunters. His skill was unmatched, for he managed to capture the most powerful game in the most blinding snowstorms with his whale-tooth-tipped spear. He had a long, jagged scar on the left side of his face that nearly touched behind his eye; a badge of honor, he called it, when he was said to have hunted and slain the last of the ferocious southern snow-wolves._

_ One day, the tribe was running low on food. It was the dead of the season of Endless Night—Summer, to all of you—when the sun is gone for much of the year, and the best fishing spots out among the icebergs had been covered over with ice too thick to break through. The hunters would have gone out into the wastes, but there was a thick storm covering much of the region with foggy, dusty ice and powered by wind so strong it felt like hammer blows. No smart warrior, no matter how strong or brave, would have dared to set foot out in that weather._

_ But Nokai didn't back down. He saw it not only as an opportunity to be the only help that the tribe had, but to truly test his strength against the South Pole's raw nature. His family begged him not to go; he could be trapped or lost forever, they cried. But he insisted that the Spirits would allow him to return, once they saw his courage._

_ He could not be swayed otherwise, and so with heavy reluctance from the others to let him, he readied himself to leave. But before he set foot out of the tribe, the elderly medicine woman looked upon him with stern eyes that seemed to glow, and warned him not to take the Spirits lightly. He was to respect their nature and the treacherous land that they watched over while traveling, if he was trying to seek their help in navigating the storm._

_ Otherwise, the consequences would be undeniably unexpected, and very possibly brutal._

_ But again, Nokai stubbornly persisted. "I will not back down. They will help me," he said._

_ So with those last words, he took his spear and vanished into the dark, enveloping wind._

_ He never returned._

_ Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. The storms ceased and the sun returned to the tribe's home. As soon as they could, the men formed search parties and fanned out into the wilderness to determine the fate of Nokai._

_ But his body was nowhere to be seen. No trace of him was found, and after a year of trying, they sadly gave the warrior up for dead._

_ Then, during the following Endless Night, a young man that had been out on a hunt on his own became lost in a sudden rush of a blizzard. It was an onslaught, nearly tearing into him before he could pull his hood over his face._

_ He trudged onward, just trying to find his way back home. The snow covered his footprints instantly, and he could barely even see his gloves in front of his face. He became disoriented, losing all sense of direction, and ending up moving in slow circles deeper and deeper into the wilderness…deeper into the darkness, farther into the deadly snow._

_ The young warrior became dizzier and dizzier by the minute. The freezing cold numbed him to the core. He cried out to his family for help, but his voice could never reach past the wind. He couldn't tell up from down, right from left, or see anything around but white. So, nearly out of energy, he fell into a drift and just tried numbly to dig a hole into it for shelter._

_ That's when he heard it. A deep, long, howl…so loud that it silenced the wind. The single note lasted a minute, echoing far out into the wastes even after it was finished. The blizzard halted in that one small spot, and the snow calmed down to a mere trickle of white flakes._

_ The boy looked up in front of him. There, out of the icy dust, stood a beast—a snow wolf—far larger than he was…far larger than he'd ever seen a creature; standing up straight, he could just come up to the bend of one front leg. Its stark white fur was broken up by black, rose-like spots all over the coat. Its ears pricked straight up, and its eyes glowed yellow like nothing he'd ever seen. One long line of gray cut down across its face on its left side. Its outline was blurry; perhaps due to the haze of his damaged vision and mind. But yet it looked so real. Its presence stopped the snow, and the storm fell into dead silence. Its thick fur was still, even from the short breezes._

_ Looking at the ghostly creature, the warrior thought that he had died in the storm, and that a Spirit had come for him._

_ The snow-wolf only stared for a minute before moving forward and brushing past him, slowly walking calmly into the distance._

_ Entranced, the boy followed the creature. It was like he was hypnotized. He saw nothing else but the beast and its graceful, purposeful stride, and the way that it didn't even look back._

_ And as it went, the storm all around went quiet, and he could only hear his boots crunching into the ice. He didn't hear the snow-wolf's steps, but he did see its paw print trail as he followed the pattern onward. Perhaps it IS real, he thought._

_ The boy just followed the beast and its prints blindly until he grew tired and weary again. When finally he could take no more, he fell again into the drifts. Before his eyes closed, he saw the beast vanish into the storm, and heard frantic shouting from the people of the tribe he'd collapsed near._

_ When he awoke again, he was in his own bed in his hut, being watched over by his family and the medicine woman. "The snow-wolf!" he shouted, remembering everything, and leaped out of bed to run outside and search for the creature that had led him back home._

_ But there was nothing to be seen in the snowy wastes before him. The storm had cleared for the night, and yet the line of paw prints he had followed was gone, too._

_ "I do not understand," the boy said. "The snow-wolf found me and saved me. Where has he gone?"_

_ His father looked at him in confusion. "You were just seeing things," he insisted. "There are no snow-wolves in this region. They have all moved on or have been hunted down."_

_ The medicine woman then came up to them, and her eyes glittered. "Ah, but look."_

_ She went a few paces into the drifts and bent down to retrieve something from the snow. In her hand, she held a long spear with a whale-tooth tip; which hadn't been there before._

_ "Nokai," she murmured, looking outward._

_ Nobody knows exactly what happened, even now. There are many stories. Some say that Nokai had died and that his soul was lost forever in the wastes, transformed into a snow-wolf as punishment by the Spirits for killing off the creatures. Others say he was perhaps eaten by that very Spirit. Perhaps that Spirit is the protector of the South Pole's wastes, watching over the creatures and waiting to destroy any unfortunate, boastful hunters that wander in, with Nokai's very scar as a way to make an example of him._

_ And still others say it is but a simple guide creature, appearing to the lucky and the innocent who become lost in the blizzards, ready to bring them home again. Perhaps Nokai himself had become a sad and lonely creature, unable to let go of this world, and so finds solace in helping the lost people of his tribe._

_ Who knows?_

_ But to this very day, if you look outside at night, there's a chance that he'll be out there looking back with nothing to see but those eyes. Maybe you'll follow him and be lost…and maybe you will be found again. Maybe you will just hear one, long, low howl that sends a chill into your bones colder than the ice itself._

_ And maybe…just maybe…you'll see Nokai, waiting to come home, but always out of reach…forever lost._

* * *

><p>"…The end," Katara finished.<p>

The group let out the breaths that they had all been holding, staring toward the Waterbender with awe in their eyes.

"Wow," Zuko marveled. "That's quite a story."

"Kinda sad, in a way," Mai added, admittedly impressed herself.

Toph hummed. "Well, I'll probably never say that the Water Tribe has the most boring stories again."

"Still a little creepy," Suki admitted. "Could you imagine running into a snow ghost in the middle of a blizzard?"

"It's not that creepy," Sokka said, earning him a few small grins. "Not as much as I thought it'd be. I kinda feel for the warrior. He got a little too bold and paid the price."

"The Spirits do have ways of punishing those who doubt them," Aang nodded and turned to Katara with a warm smile. "It was an amazing story."

"We have a lot of good fables," she smiled back and nestled into his embrace to be warm again. "I'll have to tell you all of them."

"Well, before we get all mushy again," Toph interrupted, "Who's next?"

As they settled into silence to think again, the wind howled louder than ever outside.


	2. Earth: The Whistling Rock

((AN: Thanks, you guys, for reading. ^^ And now, the next one. I think I kinda subverted the usual expectations of a spooky tale somewhat...I like to mystify a little more than I do to creep out. But still, see what you think. :3

Once again, Mike and Bryan, not me.))

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><p>2<p>

"Well, if you pansies can't think of anything…"

"Toph, be patient, won't you?"

"Patience isn't my thing, Sweetness."

"Ugh."

The banter in the dark room of the inn's top floor, while comforting, did little to mask the sounds of the storm outside. The wind had picked up in the few minutes' pause that they had between stories, and now was backed up with the faraway rumble of thunder. Aang had pulled Katara closer to him, never able to find much comfort in a storm unless it was daylight. They were always ominous to him in light of the past. The Waterbender felt it, and had discreetly grasped his hand under the blanket.

Their mood at least was lost on the others. "Mai, come on, surely you have something dark and dreary to tell," Zuko teased.

"Nope, sadly, my thoughts are all filled with pink flowers and bunny-cats," she deadpanned back and gave the young ruler a nudge. "Shut up, it's not like yours are any better."

"Maybe we should've done a go-around story instead?" Katara suggested. "Y'know, where someone starts it and the next person continues…"

Sokka snorted. "Please, Katara, you know you're no good at those. You can't make up something on the spot."

"Funny, I never saw a problem with making things up on the spot before, Private Wang Fire," she shot back, causing Sokka to groan and duck under his blanket.

The group's laughter wasn't long-lived however, for the thunder outside was insistent on having the last word, silencing all of them in an instant with a bone-shattering _CRACK-BOOM_.

But finally, the tense atmosphere was tentatively broken by Suki. "Okay, I think I've got something." She smirked. "I don't suppose anyone's heard an old Earth Kingdom story called 'The Whistling Rock'?"

The others shook their heads and murmured various replies of "No, not really…" except for Toph, whose foggy eyes had widened at the mention.

"Y-you're joking, right?" she faintly stammered, which caused the others to turn in her direction with looks of interest.

The Kyoshi Warrior shook her head in reply. "Nope. I heard it once from an old traveling merchant from Omashu. No surprise that I remembered it, I couldn't sleep the night I did," her eyes rolled.

"Good grief; a story that scares both you _and_ Toph?" Sokka exclaimed. "This I gotta hear."

_"I'm not scared!"_ the blind Earthbender growled instantly, crossing her arms. "I-I overheard the story once and thought it was…interesting. That's why I'm surprised; I, uh, get to hear it again."

"I can tell you're ly-ing," sang the Avatar nearby, who was promptly hit in the head by a flying pillow.

"Well, c'mon Suki, let's hear it!" Katara grinned. "Sounds interesting."

"Might as well add an Earth Kingdom fable to the growing collection," Mai chuckled. "Go on."

With the others avidly watching her now, Suki straightened up and began the tale, a bright flash of lightning accompanying the start of it from outside.

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><p><em>This story takes place long ago. Back when Earthbending was new to the people of the continent that would someday become the Earth Kingdom, and very few yet were worthy in the eyes of the Spirits to be gifted with the martial art.<em>

_ In a far corner of the kingdom, not many know exactly where now, there lies a forest that now is mostly scattered shrubs and petrified trees. Back then, it was still a thriving environment, and was home to a moderate farming village. There was nothing really strange about the place or its people…it was friendly and peaceful enough._

_ The only noticeable thing about the villagers was that everyone went inside instantly when darkness fell. Whatever they were doing, no matter what it was, it was dropped when the sun went down and swiftly deserted, turning eerily silent until sunrise._

_ One day, a traveler stopped by and asked for shelter for a few days. He wasn't too remarkable either, merely a young man—about your age, Sokka—who had come exploring from the new great city of Omashu, which had become legendary in the recent weeks of its formation._

_ Overhearing him say as much, he was approached by a haggard-looking old man draped in elaborate robes, who was known as the village's spiritual seer. "Are you an Earthbender?" he asked._

_ "I am," the boy replied proudly. "But I am fairly new at it and would like a place to practice, if you so know of one."_

_ The seer watched him warily, and seemed to debate on telling him something. But finally, with a sort of strange shudder, he spoke. "There is naught here but plants and loose soil. No rock for you to disturb…and seek to disturb you shall not, for it would rouse the ire of forces you would not wish to deal with. If you are also to stay, I warn you to seek shelter as soon as the sun sets, and NO later. Do so, and you are welcome here."_

_ The young Earthbender was taken aback by the old man's warning, but agreed to it._

_ And faithfully so he did, for the next few days. But as he did, he became overly curious of the condition of the people when the sun set. How they would revert from normal, friendly people into those so frightened of the dark that they rushed themselves and their kin back to their homes while there was a trace of sunlight left._

_ One day, he decided to stay out after dark…just for a few moments, to see what was wrong. When the villagers fled again to their homes, he hid himself until none remained, and then ventured along the outskirts._

_ The night didn't seem so strange at first. He heard night animals rustling in the woods, and no lights but those of the fireflies and the scattered, hastily-lit torches marking the village barriers guided his sight._

_ But then, crossing along the threshold of the village gate, he looked out into the dark void of the woods and saw something. A small flash of light, brighter than any a firefly could have made, steadily flickered in the distance and seemed to beckon to the young man. He squinted his eyes, but could make out nothing more than that single speck of light, nor hear anything but a small, nearly indistinguishable ring in his ears._

_ He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things out of sleepiness. When he looked again, the light was gone, but the little musical ring in his ears remained. He thought no more of it and went back to his bed._

_ For two nights more the thought of the flickering light hadn't ceased, and neither did the ringing. It was a musical little tone, but it became slowly more noticeable all the same. He couldn't ignore either of them._

_ So on the third night, he stayed out until after darkness fell again. When he was sure the villagers were all asleep, he cautiously lit a torch and looked out into the forest, down a winding path._

_ At the very edge of his vision, the light appeared again, blinking like a fire in the distance. The musical tone in his ears grew a little louder and seemed to have a chime-like voice to it that called into his very spirit._

_ "Hurry," he swore it sang. "Come look."_

_ His curiosity could not be ignored. The young Earthbender took one slow step after another into the deep woods, following the light, and unable to think of nothing more._

_ For a long while, all he could see around him was a forest. No animals dared disturb him, for they knew enough that a torch in the night could mean a hunter. The trees were towers, taller than they looked in the daylight, and the shadows hid so many unknown things. All around him, the forest had an unsettling feeling._

_ And still he walked, until he was led into a clearing, and a sight that made him pause._

_ Contrary to what the old man had said, there was a large, perfectly-circular quarry of deep red rocks in the forest, all solid as he felt under his boots. The light was gone, but the musical tone had gone from his ears to resonate in his spirit._

_ The boy was captivated, and excited for this chance. As an Earthbender, he was taught that one of the skills the chosen ones had was to sense the calls of the earth itself._

_ In the center of the quarry was the tallest rock; a monstrous boulder that stretched up to the top of the nearest tree. It was that rock that, strange though it sounded, was making that soft whistling tone that called to his power and led him there._

_ And yet he was reminded of the old man's words…he would be dealing with strange forces, should he disturb the forest or the quarry. But then again, many in that time had still feared and misunderstood the ways of Earthbending…perhaps the old seer was one of them?_

_ "It is important to listen to the earth if it speaks to you; and if you respect it, you may learn more than you have been taught," the boy repeated his master's instructions to himself. "So surely I've done no harm by following a voice."_

_ With that, unable to find himself resisting, he took a spot and practiced his novice Earthbending drills; which when he finished quelled the ringing in his ears, and he could return to the village, compelled yet not to reveal what he'd discovered._

_ He kept returning to that quarry every night, following the lights that showed him the path and compelled by the spiritual whispers of the Whistling Rock, which he'd called it. He became obsessed with what he was learning, and reveled in his newfound powers of the earth. It was like he had stumbled onto a sacred well, deep into this shadowy cage of green._

_ One day, just as night fell, he was approached by a mob of the villagers, who claimed that they knew what he was doing…out of fear for his abilities, they came after him and chased him out into the darkness, throwing curses for supposedly trying to ruin their way of life._

_ Angered by this turn of events, and betrayed by the kind people that once showed him a home, he returned to the quarry and stayed there for long moments, trembling._

_ The whistling noise returned, and turned into a shriek. His mind went into a frenzy._

_ Blinded by fury, he unleashed his bending powers all around him without even thinking. His anger was taken out on the very earth as his fists made craters and fissures._

_ One great crack reached the mighty pillar…and with a resounding CRACK, it had split the Whistling Rock in two. All at once, he stopped. The whistling stopped. All fell silent and still, even the forest._

_ The boy looked upon the broken pieces, and felt a welling pit of emptiness. He fell to his knees at the sight of what he had done, torn in anguish…the quarry had felt like a spiritual home to him, and it was destroyed. He begged forgiveness from the Spirits until he had nothing left in him._

_ He had slept there. Hours later, all he could do was to numbly walk back to the village, with nowhere else to go. But he noticed that the path seemed shorter than usual._

_ Then he came upon the gates, and gaped at the sight he beheld at the rising sun._

_ There were no gates. The buildings, the fields, the people…all of it had vanished, with no traces of it ever having been there._

_ All except for one lone figure…the seer, who stood expecting the boy._

_ "Old man," he called, "What has happened here? Where is the village?"_

_ The seer shook his head. "There was never any village, Earthbender."_

_ He couldn't believe it. "Where have I been living, then?"_

_ "In an illusion, caused by the spirits of the forest. They like to trap people, and trick them into living here forever; even after their passing, they never leave this place. They were forcefully turned away when night fell, and the forest's influence would wane."_

_ "…What has happened to it, then?" the horrified boy muttered._

_ "Only one thing could dispel the illusions," he smiled mysteriously. "…One with a powerful spirit that could allow him to move the earth itself. You have followed the cries for help from the earth…and you have broken the bind, and freed the lost souls. And for that, you have my thanks. You have passed this test. One more piece of proof now exists that humans are truly worthy of becoming Earthbenders."_

_ Still mystified by the old man's claim, the boy nonetheless took the thanks. "Who are you, then?"_

_ "I too was trapped here, believing as the disillusioned humans did. But now that I am free as well, I am but a simple messenger," the seer said, his voice fading out as his body did. "Nothing more." _

_ A flash of light overtook the boy's sight. When his eyes opened again, the seer was gone._

_ In his place was another pillar like the one in the quarry, appearing as if having grown there. And the soft whistling tone came again, as if reminding the Earthbender that the spiritual properties of the earth could not be destroyed._

_ He went on to teach what he knew, and spoke of the Whistling Rock to all who would listen, for he would always remember it._

_ To this day, if you manage to moving across a forgotten region and spy a pocket of wood long gone—its overgrowth tamed by the spirits of the earth—you may very well see those pillars. One broken, one whole._

_ If you're a bender, maybe you could still even hear that tone, beckoning you to listen to a spirit's tale._

_ If you're sure that it's not an illusion._

* * *

><p>"…The end," Suki finished.<p>

The group let out long sighs of relief. "Man…I was worried there for a second," Zuko admonished.

"I actually think I got a chill," Mai blinked. "Intriguing tale."

"Totally," Katara laughed with relief, as did Aang. "I swear I stopped breathing."

"A rock that whistles, though?" Sokka hummed. "I don't even think that's scientifically possible…"

"Sokka," his sister sighed in exasperation.

He rolled his eyes. "But, it's a pretty cool story anyway, Suki," he said with a genuine smile and a hug. "And it has a happy ending; I mean, that's good, right?"

"Knew you'd like it," the Kyoshi Warrior laughed and nudged him back playfully. She glanced toward the final member of the group, who hadn't yet commented. "Toph, what'd you think?"

The girl in question poked a finger out from where she was covered completely with her blanket. "I. Am never sleeping. Again. I'm always gonna keep thinking that rocks are talking to me now. Thanks a lot."

"Toph, it's just a story," Aang laughed, the others doubling over around him as well. "I'm an Earthbender too, and I never heard 'em."

"Yeah, don't be silly," Katara soothed (while trying to suppress her own giggles). "C'mon, we've got more to hear, too."

"Neeeext candidate?" Sokka drawled, looking around at the others. Outside, the storm had finally died down, though into a rather quick and strangely unsettling silence.


	3. Fire: The Emperor's Task

((AN: And finally, after another long time, I finally updated this piece. x3 The little folk tale in this chapter is probably my favorite by far, as I tried to give it the feel of an actual very old tale to probably come out of the Avatar world. It's a spirit story, but not as scary as the rest. :B I figure it still goes well.

Enjoy guys! ^^

Mike and Bryan own everything here, not me.))

* * *

><p>3<p>

After two nerve-curdling stories, it was a little hard for anyone of the group to immediately and seriously nominate or volunteer someone for another tale. Still, it was agreed that even as the night turned late and the darkness outside of the window only seemed to deepen, that none of the heroes were yet tired.

So thus, just relaxing in the firelight, they took a break and engaged in idle conversation. By the time Zuko had returned from graciously fetching a tray of tea for everybody, they were in the midst of a game of charades, with Sokka playing whatever it is they had to guess. The young Fire Lord had to quirk an eyebrow when he came through the door to behold the sight. The Water Tribe warrior was precariously balanced on one foot and struggling to keep his balance like a novice acrobat.

"Okay, two words...um..." Aang had his lower lip pursed as he thought of guesses. "A tree?"

"Aang, that's _one_ word," Sokka snorted as he windmilled his arms for balance shortly.

"You're not supposed to talk, Sokka," Katara chided. "Sheesh."

"Circus performer?" Suki guessed, only to receive a shake of her lover's head. "Darn, I thought that was it."

"Rabid hog-monkey?" Toph piped in while disinterestedly picking her nose.

Aang laughed. "Toph, that's been your guess for the _last_ two turns."

"Well, gee, he always just _looks_ like one," she snorted back and flicked her finger, which caused those in her general aim to dodge whatever she'd found in her nasal cavity.

"Time's up, anyway," Sokka groaned and pointed to where he stood tip-toe with one foot. It's an Air Scooter. Y'know, Aang always stands like this when he does it."

The others blinked, and then burst out laughing.

"How in the world could we have gotten _that,_ numbskull?" Katara spat. "Only Aang knows the Airbending stances."

"Yeah, and even then, you have to have your hands like this for the Air Scooter," he pointed out, demonstrating the posture with his two fists pressed together, the ends of the arrows on his hands giving the illusion of pointing directly to his center.

"Whatever, so I forget sometimes," Sokka dismissed, rolling his eyes upward as he re-took his seat next to Suki and grabbed a teacup from the tray. "Ah, Zuko's back," he finally admonished. "Wanna be the next charade...person?"

"As fun as that sounds," he started with a snide air, which made Mai nudge him playfully, "I think I may actually have an idea for another story."

The others turned their interested eyes toward the Firebender, certainly more than ready for another piece of lore from Zuko's side of the world. "Is it a ghost story too?" Aang inquired curiously as he sipped from his cup with one hand and rested his other arm around Katara's shoulder.

"Sort of. It's more like a forgotten spiritual folk story, back from before the Fire Nation was the way it is. Way before even the Fire Lords before Sozin...before there _were_ Fire Lords."

"That far back?" Suki hummed while she rested her chin on her fist. "Not even the known history books seem to reach that."

"I do have to wonder what the Fire Nation was like before the beginning of what we know," Katara mused.

Even Mai cast a mildly interested glance toward him as she rested back from next to him on one arm. "Let's hear it then. I don't even think _I've_ heard this."

"I don't think anyone has," Zuko said with a short chuckle. "Uncle told it to me, when he was also telling me about the ancient Sun Warriors. This dates right back to them."

"The Sun Warriors?" Aang blinked and leaned forward. "This I _gotta_ hear."

Zuko grinned knowingly toward the young Avatar. "Well sit back and listen, then."

* * *

><p><em>A very long time ago, before the Fire Nation was a truly established territory...and before the gift of the First Fire had been given to the Sun Warriors by the dragons...their civilization thrived as greatly as the Earth Kingdom does today; with cities little more than half the size of Ba Sing Se dotting the lush green landscape and always protected under the shadow of volcanoes. Just as the ancient people believed that the sun was one with the sky and the bringer of life, they also believed that volcanoes were a symbol of balance; for it was in their bowels where earth met fire as one powerful force. It was said that the Spirits kept the fires of the earth at bay and the people safe, so long as they acted with respect to those entities and to their fellow people.<em>

_ In that time, each city was ruled over by an Emperor. The largest and grandest city, of which now there is no trace, was once overshadowed by the very dormant caldera in which the Fire Nation capitol has settled today._

_ It was also ruled over by a very powerful Emperor. He was not a fair ruler to his own people however, for he was tainted by his power and showed selfishness and unkindness to the lesser citizens of the empire._

_ But there was one thing, and one thing only, that he loved. His wife and queen, who was the only person to see past his harsh exterior to the compassionate heart that she knew was there, and he only ever showed it to her._

_ But still, while he kept the two of them lavished in riches and luxury, the rest of his people were struggling to make ends meet. Day by day he showed more and more cruelty, shutting out the requests of the peasantry for any sort of helping hand to cast out to them._

_ This fact of course did not go unnoticed by the spirits of the volcano._

_ One night, the Emperor awoke to find his queen missing from their bed. He grew only more concerned when there was no sight of her during the day, and the concern grew into worry when he slept alone the next night._

_ So the next day he ordered a frantic search for her throughout the palace. The search widened to the temples, the homesteads of the peasants, even to the front doors of neighboring villages and empires. But the queen still remained missing, for days on end, with no trace to be found...like she had simply vanished._

_ The Emperor was heartbroken. He nearly became reclusive, weakened by the worry he had for his beloved, and angry at whatever force could have given him such cruel treatment._

_ Finally, he had fallen to the last resort of asking the Spirits themselves for help. He sought out one of his high priests, known as Sun Chiefs, and demanded his guidance in the matter. The Sun Chief told him that he should ascend the volcano to the rim himself and call upon the spirits for help, if that was what he truly wished._

_ Before he made ready to go, the priest warned him that he must approach the Spirits with an open mind and heart. He must show humility and restraint, lest he be punished. Taking the words to mind, the Emperor ordered his servants to escort him to the volcano's wide peak._

_ As the ruler stood over the edge of the rim, he was greeted by the sight of a great serpentine spirit, bathed in flames of many colors with eyes as black and shiny as obsidian. "What have you summoned me for, Emperor?" the spirit asked with a voice that boomed._

_ "I wish to know the fate of my beloved queen," he replied with a fist clenched over his heart. "She has vanished without a trace, and I suspect the spirits of this cruelty."_

_ "Cruelty?" The fire spirit sneered. "You have no place to speak of cruelty, when that is what you show to your own subjects. A cruel soul deserves no speck of happiness directed to him in return, unless he is willing to change his heart."_

_ The Emperor suddenly remembered the Sun Chief's warning, and bowed his head. "Forgive me, Spirit, for I am stricken with grief and unable to quell much of my anger. I will give any of my treasures, or accomplish any task, to see my queen again."_

_ The fiery apparition's eyes narrowed. "...Very well. I do not desire any of your earthly treasures, but I do have a task. To prove that you are able to show humility and kindness to life, you will take this."_

_ A strong golden glow appeared from a patch of rock in front of the spirit; so strong that the Emperor shielded his eyes. When the glow faded, there lay at his feet an oblong round object, about as big as his arms could wrap around, with colored speckles dotting the surface. It was an egg._

_ "The creature that hatches from this will be a sacred one," the spirit hummed. "It will be of use to humanity and give it a wondrous gift after it grows. Your task is to care for the egg until it hatches, in a month's time, and then bring the baby back here. Doing so will prove you've a compassionate heart, and you will earn back your queen unharmed, as if nothing had happened."_

_ The ruler nodded, uncertain, but still willing to do anything. As he bent to gingerly pick up the egg, the spirit spoke again. "A warning for you, human. You are to be the one who keeps an eye on the egg, not your servants. It is to be kept comfortably warm at all times. And should it be destroyed before the month ends, you will pay dearly."_

_ He nodded again. "I will do anything, Spirit."_

_ "Then go."_

_ With that, the fiery creature disappeared back into the caldera and left the rather amazed Emperor to his task. He was skeptical, still; but he could wait a month if it meant getting his beloved back._

_ The days passed on into weeks, and they were lonely days for the Emperor. But he still dutifully kept to his word, and the egg was kept warm and safe in his chambers. Often he would curiously run his hands over the surface and feel the warmth emanating from it, and stare into the hypnotic and soothing glow it gave. Every day he became more and more curious for what it held, and more and more he saw the need to protect it._

_ He also became more and more amicable to his servants and, eventually, to his subjects. He became used to caring for an innocent life in the late days of the month, and began to understand how fragile it could be. The Emperor started to respect and even help the citizens of his empire, much to their joy...but more and more, he longed to be content with the love of his queen to make his life complete, and the fires of his impatience only grew once more._

_ It was a week before the end of the month before the haughty ruler finally could take no more waiting. Taking the egg with him, he ascended the mountain and called upon the spirit once more._

_ The fiery serpent looked upon him with those dangerous eyes and his voice boomed outward. "What is the meaning of this? You arrive before your appointed time, Emperor. The egg has not yet hatched."_

_ "I believe that I have waited long enough, spirit!" the ruler argued. "Surely you have witnessed that I am a better man than I was. I have done great deeds for my people, and they respect me more than they ever have. That makes me happy and content. Should I not have earned the life of my queen back now?"_

_ The spirit regarded him with a softer voice. "Indeed...you have opened your heart and your mind, and you have redeemed yourself in the eyes of your people. But, you have not yet redeemed yourself in the eyes of the spirits. You MUST complete your task, or you will never gain what you wish to."_

_ The Emperor was furious. His body quivered, and he scowled at the entity. "This is utterly ridiculous! If I will not have her back, then YOU shall not have this either!"_

_ And in a fit of anger, he raised the egg above his head and threw it to the ground, smashing it to pieces. The glow it had within flared outward, bathing him in feelings of pain, before fading completely into the shards of the shell at his feet._

_ A long silence followed between the Emperor and the spirit. When the human regained his breath, he looked upon the cruelty of his actions, and his eyes widened with sudden guilt and fear. "No..." he murmured. "No..."_

_ The spirit was not swayed. It was too late; the Emperor could not be redeemed. "You FOOL!" it roared, growing larger, the flames around it giving off a bright red glow. "By giving in to your anger, you have now lost your chance, and everything you had hoped for. Look upon what you have done, and suffer!"_

_ It was then that the glow of a departed soul rose up from the remains of the egg...and the glow formed into the ghostly form of a regal woman. Her countenance was warm, but sad, as it looked upon the stricken Emperor._

_ He fell to his knees, tears pouring from his eyes. "My beloved..."_

_ "The egg contained a pure human spirit, that of your wife, whose energy was to give rise to a gift upon humanity; and it was your task to nurture it," the spirit seethed. "Then she would have been given back to you, body and soul. But you have shown that any chance you had of redemption was always overshadowed by selfishness and anger deep within. And so here she must remain, forever out of your reach, as punishment."_

_ The Emperor could barely form words. He doubled over, broken, head bowed and tears flowing. "No...no..." he kept whimpering. "No..."_

_ But his wife looked on with pity and remorse, and she knelt beside him, placing her hands on his back as she looked upon the beast with pleading eyes. "Good spirit, please have mercy on him...he would have done his task had he known its importance," her soft voice echoed, and the two of them listened. "He has been good to his people and he has learned the value of life. Please...do not take his happiness."_

_ The spirit's eyes seemed to soften in thought, and his next statement was preceded with a low hum. "I cannot give him what he wishes, for he has not learned his lesson fully. But, I do concede to the fact that compassion has opened his heart, and his love for you has kept it open; he is just above the point of damnation. Very well, Empress, I know what I shall do. For you both."_

_ Turning, the serpentine creature nodded toward the Emperor. "I will give you another task, human. And this time, you will do this for your people. In your queen's stead, YOU shall give them the gift of summoning the fire of life."_

_ The spirit beast reared his head, and called forth a stream of flames. He unleashed it upon the surprised ruler, consuming him. But instead of burning him to the core, the sacred flames had a different purpose. For before the eyes of the witnesses among his servants, the priests, and the spirit of his wife, he shed his human form and grew to immense size. Claws grew from his hands...brilliant red scales from his skin...fangs from a gaping maw._

_ When the flames cleared, they looked upon the very first dragon._

_ The spirit addressed him again with a commanding voice. "You now bear a sacred form, and shall bear it until your death, which will not come for a long time. You and every dragon that comes after you will be responsible for guarding the land and gifting the pure of mind with the art of fire. Do this, and when your task is done...only then will you join your wife, as a spirit, forever more redeemed."_

_ The dragon acquiesced, and did as told. From then on, he could do no more but act with his task, arduously and willingly, continuing to learn as he should._

_ The Sun Warriors are now long gone...but the Fire Sages are descended from the first Firebenders to have been given the gift, and so do their best to preserve the true nature of it in secret. They say that Firebenders even today carry the essence of the first dragon inside of them, and with it the decision to either use the power for good, by learning the ways of the power of life and the sun, or for evil, submitting to the natural impatience within. They also say that the day that either all Firebenders vanish, or the day all Firebenders act for good, is the day that the Emperor will finally return to the land of spirits to be reunited with his love._

_ As for his queen, they say she still lingers around the caldera, protecting the people that live there even long after the Sun Warrior civilization has gone. The warm nights are her embrace; the wind is her voice, singing with hope that he will return. You may even see her in your dreams, or in the spirit of someone close to you._

* * *

><p><em> "...<em>The end," Zuko finished, his voice low and solemn as the quiet of the night once again settled down on the awestruck listeners of the story.

"Wow..." Katara breathed. "That's so sad."

"Do you think that it could've really gone down like that?" Sokka hummed. "I mean, I dunno if a spirit could be that cruel."

"Spirits aren't necessarily cruel," Aang countered with a thoughtful hum. "But they are mysterious in their ways. And often very forthright. The Emperor could have deserved it."

"I'd say he did," Zuko sighed. "The reason that story always stuck with me as a kid was that the Emperor sounded much like my father...and his wife, much like my mother. Except, I don't think he ever really loved her like that."

"Well, you certainly do better justice with love and humility than your father did," Mai pointed out. "At any rate, it _was_ a memorable story."

"Totally," Toph nodded. "I just hope it ends happily, if it IS true."

"You never know if it is," Katara smiled. "That's the fun of these stories." She snuggled closer into Aang's side. "And it's nice to hear that love can redeem the coldest heart."

The Airbender blushed slightly, and the others nodded their agreements in silence. The storm outside had stopped, leaving only a slow, cold breeze to make the walls creak, and the noise was no longer enough to distract the thoughtful children as they plotted the next tale.


	4. Air: The Mountain of Trials

((AN: And with this chapter, I officially end the Four Ghost Stories. :3 I hope you all enjoyed them, because they were quite fun to write...I loved diving into the possible folklore of the Avatar world, especially the days before bending and what the people of the different Nations would have been like.

I admit I had a hard time thinking of what an Air story would entail. At first I wanted to end on a spooky note, as this was originally a Halloween thing, but then I got to thinking about the Air Nomads and their way of life, and had the thought that perhaps it's best to end it on a more peaceful, mystifying kind of story. Plus, it comes with Kataang flufflies, which I know many of you love as well. ^^

So, that said, everyone enjoy the final chapter. :3

Mike and Bryan own the characters and concepts, I just play with 'em. I will not take undue credit. x3))

* * *

><p>4<p>

The time passed on slowly, and outside the night had grown so dark that it was almost black. All was quiet, and the slow blink-eyed lethargy that was the beginnings of sleep had finally started to fall upon the group. Even the ones who had claimed that they would never sleep again due to the spirit stories had admitted lacking the strength to sit up for much longer.

And so, finally, after nobody could come up with a good fable to end the night, the friends made their beds and crawled up from the floor, carrying their respective blankets and pillows with them. Aang put out the hearth with a blast of Airbending, and everyone said their tired good-nights as they felt their way to their beds in the dark.

It soon turned out that some of those beds wouldn't have occupants. All three of the couples had shared sleeping bags or bunked together many a time on their adventures, if only for the comfort of sharing warmth and comfort with the ones they loved; Toph hadn't minded being the only one on her own—she'd always relished it, as a matter of fact—but she did often remind the respective pairs to keep the noise level when everyone was together at a bare minimum. Tonight was no exception, but all were too tired to do much of anything but sleep, the boys resting with the bodies of their soul mates close as possible to them (the previous tale of lost love had seemed to have a sort of fearful effect on their hearts).

...At least, for a while, two of them tried to sleep.

Katara's eyes blinked open after a few hours, having not been able to fall into her dreams no matter how much she tried. She moved her head ever so slightly to look around the room, and found that she could see somewhat well due to the streaming moonlight from the windows...which she swore wasn't there before when blocked with the storm. It cast the room in a soothing, ethereal black-blue set of colors. Her head was otherwise resting on one of Aang's arms, her forehead upon his chest. As she heaved a short, frustrated sigh and tried to rest herself, she listened to him. His heartbeat was steady...his breathing wasn't, as it normally would be when he slept. Sometimes he snored, other times he was silent and soothing...now though, it was uneven. Puzzled, the Waterbender wondered if he was having a dream.

But as she comfortably shifted and wrapped an arm around to his back, his hand moved to lazily stroke her shoulder. "Can't sleep either?" he whispered near her ear, so softly that she thought only the two of them could hear.

"No," she affirmed just as quietly and shuffled back a little to catch his eyes. "Don't know why. I'm tired, but..." she yawned, "But, having trouble getting there. Why're you up?"

"Same thing," Aang shrugged shortly, playing with strands of her hair with his fingertips. "I dunno...I guess the spirit stories were a bit much to sleep through right away."

"They weren't even that scary," Katara said, somewhat perplexed. "They were like folklore. I liked them."

Aang hummed. "When Gyatso told stories, he always said that they were created with the same purpose; to stick with you in your mind. I guess it does the job."

She smiled up to him, and he smiled back. "I'd say so," Katara hummed and replaced her head where she had laid it, on his shoulder and facing the base of his neck. Her sigh was a feather touch against his skin. "I feel a little bad that we went to sleep without hearing a story from _you_ though, Aang. We've had one from every Nation but yours."

He nestled his cheek in her hair and stroked her arm idly with his fingers. "Don't worry about it. I can tell all of you later, maybe."

"Okay," Katara sighed. A few more moments of comfortable silence passed, but sleep still seemed so far away. She had a gentle smile on her face, however, pulling herself closer to the Airbender as she enjoyed his touch. "I don't mind not sleeping just yet. Talking at night, all quiet like this...it's nice."

Aang blushed, and he was certain that she was, too, but the darkness offered little sight for either to notice. "It _is_ nice. We should lose sleep more often."

Katara bit her lip, her smile quivering with unreleased giggles. "Aang, don't make me laugh right now," she chided.

"I wasn't even trying to," he smirked and kissed her forehead. "But really...we do need to sleep somehow."

Her reply was a slow nod. She thought for a while in the silence, watching dust motes dance around in the moonlit shafts from the window and make the air glitter.

"Well..." she finally breathed, "Can you at least tell _me_ a story? I really wanna hear one from you."

He playfully flicked a few hair strands into her face. "Aren't you a little old for bedtime stories?"

"You read at night too, sometimes," she pointed out, nearly in a loud whisper, and received a light warning shush from him. Quieter, she added, "Please?"

He pretended to think, his face twisted comically into a grimace, before he sighed a laugh and nestled deeper into the blankets with her. "Alright...I've got a good one. Shouldn't be scary, either. It's one of our oldest spirit stories."

Katara smiled with sleepy anticipation. "Go on."

* * *

><p><em>A long time ago, the islands that made up the different locations of the Air Temples weren't islands; they were a part of the other Nations, made up of the highest and most remote mountain ranges that connected to them. The land was harsh, and the air was always cold...but the mountain-dwelling wanderers who were to become the ancestors of the Air Nomads were used to it. They knew how to make homes wherever they moved, and just like they are today, they respected the land and all creatures and people within it, always seeking a common life of peace and prosperity.<em>

_ But there was one thing that the mountain nomads envied, and that was the sight of the magnificent beasts that made their homes in the green and lush valleys; beasts which despite their great sizes could fly as swiftly as the wind. In another story as grand as this one, they learned how to tame the Sky Bison, and watched them to see how to bend the very wind to their will._

_ Air, however, was a very powerful thing to wield, and the Spirits saw that the nomadic humans wished for its control and dreamed of the possibilities. They needed to see if they had the control of themselves to fully embrace the element of Air and also to embrace what it had to teach...freedom and enlightenment. And so, one night, a message entered the dreams of the first Airbenders...a call from the highest mountain near the northernmost part of the world where land hadn't yet turned to ice._

_ Not many heeded these dreams...they were happy to live as they always had, as simple wanderers, with the Sky Bison to help them and their families to fly._

_ But one small family, parents with two children, had decided together to make the journey. They packed provisions enough for three trips, and their bison flew them to the high northern mountains...the highest of which stood so tall that even the bison could not reach the very peak. At the base, they hiked on themselves into a smooth but snowy climb. As they traveled, helping each other along the way, they wondered what kind of knowledge from the spirits awaited them._

_ They continued upward at a steady pace through one day. The night of that first day, they were surprised to come upon another group of people camping on the side of the mountain with nothing but an outcrop for shelter._

_ The other group looked ragged and starved. Their faces were gaunt and gray, and their bodies and clothes were caked with dirt and dust. They had neither food among them, nor sleeping bags and tents to protect them from the snow. The mountain nomad family thought that they had gotten lost. Many would have given them up for dead and left them to starve on that empty mountainside, for they looked ugly and hopeless._

_ But the father stepped up to them and extended his hand. "We have food and shelter to share," he said with kindness, "Join us around our fire and take as much as you need for the long journey back."_

_ The starving people accepted the family's generosity, and ate to their heart's content...neither his wife nor the children worried that they would run out of food, for they could live for a while yet without it, and they all knew how much more these people needed a meal than they did themselves._

_ The first night passed. But when the family awoke, the starving people were gone. Not a trace of them had been found...no footprints in the snow or icy mud, no scraps of cloth...even the outcrop that they had used for shelter had vanished mysteriously. No evidence was found that they were ever there._

_ Mystified, but undeterred, the family pressed on for another day._

_ The second night, they found themselves on a large, flat plateau on the mountain's summit...there, they started to make camp, when suddenly there was a loud roar that echoed all around them._

_ Out of the shadows of the blinding wind, there came three lumbering white creatures about the size of the father, with gleaming sharp teeth and bodies balanced on muscular arms and knuckles. They were yeti-hounds, fierce mountain animals only heard of in legend._

_ Being a peaceful people, the nomads had no sharp weapons to fight such creatures off...each only had a long, hard wood staff that they used for herding and were usually enough to deter dangerous predators without hurting them. They took the staves and wielded them, defending when the creatures charged._

_ They weren't deterred by the staves. They kept charging, trying to find an opening when they could...the parents could only concentrate on protecting the children._

_ "The wind power!" the young boy cried. "We could use it to send them off the edge of the mountain!"_

_ "No," the father insisted. "They are living creatures, and we have come upon THEIR land. They are defending themselves as much as we are from them."_

_ "They have no such reservations," the mother pointed out. "If we stop fighting, surely they will end us."_

_ "There must be a way," the father insisted. "The spirits called us here, so they must expect us to find it."_

_ The second child, a daughter, then said, "Perhaps we can just use the wind power to move them out of the way. Then we run quickly."_

_ Seeing that as the best option, they worked together to form a barrier of air and carefully blasted the animals away. As fast as they could, they took what they managed of their supplies and rushed up the mountainside._

_ When they could finally stop for air, they looked back to see that the yeti-hounds did not follow them, to their greatest relief. But they had only run a short distance...they heard no howling or growling in frustration, or attempts to chase, as they have seen of other creatures._

_ They only heard the quiet breeze upon the rocks. Again, no evidence that the yeti-hounds had ever existed._

_ "This place is strange," the mother admonished. "Should we even try to press on?"_

_ "A message from the spirits should not be taken lightly," the father argued. "We press on for as long as we are able. But if the children wish, they can try to go back to the bison."_

_ "We will come too," said the boy, and his sister nodded in agreement. As a family, they would continue._

_ The second night passed, and the nomads awoke to travel as far as they could up the mountain by daylight._

_ The third night came...and another obstacle lay before them. There was a giant crack in the ground, and the way across the fissure was too far away to jump to. There seemed to be no way for them to go but back, and the path was completely broken._

_ To make matters worse, the wind had picked up violently, threatening to push them all into the chasm with each step toward it._

_ "The spirits are surely trying to kill us!" the young boy shouted over the gale. The mother was inclined to agree with her scared children, holding them close._

_ But the husband kept his eyes over the chasm. "The spirits would not call us here without a purpose other than death, I am sure of it," he said. "The wind is very strong...perhaps we could use it."_

_ "It is a leap of faith!" the clever young girl exclaimed. "We could use the tents and let the wind take us across."_

_ The mother looked uncertain, sadness crossing her face. "I wish to believe you, but what if it does not work?"_

_ "We must trust in the wind," the father said, softly but resigned. "If it is our fate, so be it. We already give what we must to the world, more than we take. We will give our bodies back to the mountain if that is how it should be."_

_ So, all in agreement and all fear discarded, the mountain nomads built one large glider from their tent fabrics and staves. With the wind to carry them, the family leaped the edge of the chasm and easily flew across, never to fear height or death. They all embraced once they reached the other side, euphoric that they had made it and relieved that they were all together._

_ They camped on the plateau on the other side with what remaining supplies they had, and the third night passed. The next morning saw them reaching the high point of the summit, so high that breathing became nearly impossible. They debated on going back, but they had yet made it so far, their supplies depleted and not nearly enough for a trip back down...there was nothing left to do._

_ But just as they were faltering under altitude sickness, thinking that there could be no other choice but to give their spirits up forever more, suddenly the air whipped around their bodies and breathed life into them. They could stand in that high, unforgiving mountain as easily as they could on the ground, and they looked around in shocked amazement for whatever force had helped them._

_ And then, it materialized out of the wind. A grand image of a Sky Bison, one of the Air Spirits themselves. Its fur was as white as the clouds, and its arrow markings and eyes glowed with ethereal power blue as the sky. But, as fearsome as it looked, the energy around the great spirit was soothing and enlightening, calming the hearts of the small courageous family that chose to represent the entirety of the first Airbenders._

_ "You have done it, travelers," it boomed, "You have made it to the peak of the Mountain of Trials, as we spirits have foreseen."_

_ "Trials?" the father echoed. "The mountain's obstacles were trials?"_

_ "Yes," the spirit answered, its voice surrounding them with feelings of calming victory. "Each one was put there to test you on the characters that we wish to have every Child of Air possess:_

_ "The starving, lost people tested your kindness and generosity, for the Children of the Air must have kind hearts and fondness for all mankind._

_ "The yeti-hounds tested your respect for life...Children of the Air must know the potential great danger they wield, the breath of life itself...wield it carefully and defensively if necessary, but know that to take a life would be a misuse of the spirit's gift._

_ "The chasm tested your courage and faith; faith in the spirits and in the air to guide you away from disaster, and courage to be able to focus patiently and use it, to let go of fear._

_ "And finally, all three tested the character of versatility and freedom...the ability and the choice to pass obstacles any way you see fit, just like the wind itself._

_ "With these tests passed, your family and your people have earned the right to wield the power of Air and learn the many ways to use it...only if you return to them and teach them to forever uphold these lessons."_

_ Overjoyed, the family agreed, and returned to spread the word across the whole of the nomad nation. Their people heard them and heeded their words, though there were still some who were still content to go into the world as mere nomads._

_ Soon, the formal discipline of Airbending was set into motion. It was agreed that while many would still embrace the nomadic way of life that they so loved, there would be places of spiritual study and discipline for Air Nomads to gather, teach, and learn. These spiritual centers became the Air Temples._

_ Four Air Temples were constructed, one on each of the compass directions in the highest mountain ranges, and each in honor of one of the four family members...the Northern and Eastern for the father and mother, and the Southern and Western for the son and daughter._

_ The very site of the Mountain of Trials became the Northern Air Temple, and that is where the Air Nomads transcribed the history of their people, for the origin to be remembered._

_ Air Spirits guard each of those Temples even today. Travelers, when you walk or fly into our mountains, sharing our wind, they will always watch over you, and so will we._

* * *

><p>"...The end," Aang finished in a soft, reverent tone of voice, his eyes closed as if in respectful prayer.<p>

Katara was silent for a moment in awe, taking in the story she had just heard...a fable from the Air Nomads never heard again for a hundred years. Not until now, in the darkness of an inn room and a warm bed alongside the very last one.

"Wow, Aang..." she whispered, her thumb stroking the arrow mark on one of the hands she held. "That's an amazing story."

He opened his eyes and slightly shrugged. "I don't know if it measures up to the ones the others told...but it's one of my favorites from the Air Nomads. I'm glad I was able to share it with someone."

She smiled and held him close. "I'm glad too. I feel...I dunno, honored to be told the story, since I'm not even an Air Nomad."

He held in a short chuckle, kissing her cheek. "Well, you're special enough, and if the spirits disagree with me, I'll take their punishment for it."

She blushed, kissing him back on the lips and humming sleepily. "Are you going to tell the others the story too?"

He smirked in thought. "If they ask me to," he decided, playfully nuzzling the top of her head. "It's a secret tale, only known to you and me."

Katara had to snicker. She somewhat liked the sound of that, being the only one worthy of Aang's secrets, even if he'd owed the others the fourth story in a pattern of the elements themselves.

"Maybe tomorrow," he finally acquiesced with a loud yawn. "I think I can sleep now."

"Me too," the Waterbender echoed and followed him into a shared world of dreams.

Outside, the night was still, and the moon still shone in all of her splendor. The spirits of each of the children's stories kept watch over them that night, close by but still in realms far away...where so many other tales, many of which were forgotten in the time before bending, had been laid to rest.

Yue, smiling from her perch on the rooftop just above the window and remembering the same ones told to her as a child, could at least attest to the ones that were real.


End file.
